Two men’s college programs with big dreams and an almost-there 2013-14 season meet Saturday as Arizona visits Santa Clara.

For Arizona, this is part of their foray into DIA rugby. The Wildcats were finalists in DIAA last year, and wanted to be in DIA this year. But since they play in the PAC Rugby Conference, which isn’t officially any kind of division, they needed to get the approval of the DIA conferences, and play a DIA-tough schedule.

The PAC Conference schedule is tough on its own, but the Wildcats also four more DIA or Varsity Cup opponents to their slate. The first one is Santa Clara. Meanwhile, al DIA games count in ranking the teams involved, and thus setting up the playoffs. Santa Clara were pushed aside by St. Mary's for the conference title last year, but they did enough to make the playoffs. Both teams need this result. 

“We’re looking good,” said Head Coach Sean Duffy, who named center Jack Arnold and flanker Matt Tomasetti the team captains. Arnold will start at center with hooker Cam Hudson and lock Trevor Jensen bolstering Tomasetti's leadership up front. 

“The first full game so always exciting and nerve-wracking, but we have lot of good returners back from the DIAA playoff campaign that are now ready to make the jump to this DIA level, supplemented by some good young talent,” added Duffy.

They face a Santa Clara team that came back to beat Stanford last week. The comeback was nice, but Head Coach Paul Keeler felt the team let some scoring opportunities go.

“I think at times we were too individual,” said Keeler. “But there was stuff we did well and we played better ball in the second half.”

Flyhalf Matt Fitzgerald could well be the central figure in Santa Clara’s attack. He has, said Keeler, “a tremendous upside.” That hints that he hasn’t made it yet.

The Santa Clara midfield of Ryan Chavkin and Kyle Dunne have showed well and should provide good entertainment as they clash with Arnold and and Ben Joseph for Arizona.

“We are expecting a physical, well-coached, smart team,” said Duffy. “Paul Keeler and Gene Mountjoy are smart coaches and guys I work with at the HSAA level, so that will be fun. Santa Clara is the perfect game for us to begin the season and in many ways throws us right in to the fight for those much-coveted DIA playoff spots as we're both in the running.”